He drew her into his embrace and held her close for a moment and then softly kissed her cheek. ‘Sorry I haven’t done this before,’ he murmured. ‘But I’ve been all of a muddle.’

‘I know you have,’ she replied, fighting back her happy tears. ‘And I do understand why, Charlie.’ She smiled back at him. ‘But if you think this has softened me up into letting you have some ham, you’ve got another think coming.’

He tipped back his head and roared with laughter before hugging her again. ‘I’m happy with soup,’ he said finally.

Much later that night Peggy was warmed by the memory of that embrace and the joy of the moment when her son had finally accepted he was home. She didn’t know what had brought it about, and didn’t care, but she’d sneak him an extra slice of ham for lunch tomorrow – not just for his cheek, but because she was so happy to have her son back to his old self again.

Danuta had spent the previous Sunday getting the hang of driving on the left side of the road, doing hand signals and working out the gears. Jack Smith had been really patient with her, never raising his voice or giving exasperated sighs when she stalled the engine or crunched the gears.

The little car ran beautifully, and Danuta was absolutely thrilled with it. However, she was still suspicious that Jack was charging her far less than it was worth, and she’d queried the amount again. He fended her off and then quickly changed the subject, warning that she’d need to take a test before she was allowed to drive it on her own. Over the following week, he’d taken her out each evening, teaching her the Highway Code and making sure she knew what to expect from the examiner.

Danuta had passed the test yesterday, and had gone straight to Jack to proudly show him her licence, and they’d celebrated with a cup of tea and a bath bun from the bakery. Now it was Sunday morning, the weather was fine and Danuta planned to take Stanislaw out for a drive to cheer him up. Physically, he was very much better after resting quietly in bed and completely cutting out alcohol, but he’d been feeling very down these past few days. However, Danuta had a plan, and if things went as she hoped, then he would have something to work for and aim at.

She kept her plans to herself as she kissed Peggy and Cordelia goodbye and ran down the front steps to where her little car was parked at the kerb. She stood and admired it for a moment, then climbed in and gave a sigh of pleasure as she ran her fingers over the leather seat and mahogany dashboard. She still couldn’t quite believe she owned such a wonderful thing, but she’d decided it was definitely female and she would therefore call her Bessie – which echoed the registration plate BSI 4489.